Add required `espeak`

README.md

@@ -46,9 +46,21 @@ This application provides the following AI building blocks:
    source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
    ```
 
-3. Install PyTorch with CUDA support (see [PyTorch Installation](#pytorch-installation) below).
+3. Install system dependencies (required for text-to-speech):
+   ```bash
+   # On Ubuntu/Debian:
+   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y espeak-ng
+   
+   # On macOS:
+   brew install espeak-ng
+   
+   # On Fedora/RHEL:
+   sudo dnf install espeak-ng
+   ```
+
+4. Install PyTorch with CUDA support (see [PyTorch Installation](#pytorch-installation) below).
 
-4. Install the remaining dependencies:
+5. Install the remaining dependencies:
    ```bash
    pip install -r requirements.txt
    ```
@@ -151,6 +163,7 @@ ai-building-blocks/
 ├── chatbot.py                          # Chatbot module
 ├── utils.py                            # Utility functions
 ├── requirements.txt                    # Python dependencies
+├── packages.txt                        # System dependencies (for Hugging Face Spaces)
 ├── .env                                # Environment variables (create this)
 └── README.md                           # This file
 ```
@@ -181,6 +194,14 @@ If PyTorch is not detecting your GPU:
 
 Ensure all required environment variables are set in your `.env` file. Missing variables will cause the application to fail when trying to use the corresponding feature.
 
+### espeak Not Installed (Text-to-Speech)
+
+If you encounter a `RuntimeError: espeak not installed on your system` error:
+
+1. Install `espeak-ng` using your system package manager (see [Installation](#installation) step 3).
+2. On Hugging Face Spaces, ensure `packages.txt` exists with `espeak-ng` listed (this file is automatically used by Spaces).
+3. Verify installation: `espeak --version` or `espeak-ng --version`
+
 ### Model Loading Errors
 
 If you encounter errors loading models:

packages.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+espeak-ng